People are being told to be alert (Image: Олег Буянов via Getty Images)
Approximately one in 10 online pharmacies have had their websites and social media profiles duplicated by platforms peddling counterfeit weight-loss injections, a survey has revealed. The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) encouraged patients to remain “wary” of suppliers offering medication at a price that is “too good to be true”, and accused social media firms of being “asleep at the wheel”.
The body, which represents 6,000 pharmacies throughout Britain, has additionally written to Health Secretary Wes Streeting demanding stronger protections for patients. The survey of 100 online pharmacies discovered that approximately one in 10 had their digital presence copied by illegal weight-loss jab suppliers within the past year.
Meanwhile, nearly two in five have come across patients who had purchased fake weight-loss medications without realising in the previous 12 months. The vast majority (95.2%) of pharmacies that responded indicated they are troubled about the unlawful sale of these injections and the danger they present to patient safety.
One pharmacy only learned their online presence had been duplicated after being contacted by a patient who had acquired counterfeit Mounjaro from a website masquerading as their pharmacy. The medication was a quarter of the cost.
In several instances, the counterfeit supplier had also replicated regulator logos, including those belonging to the Care Quality Commission and the General Pharmaceutical Council.
Anyone buying jabs online needs to take care (Image: Tatsiana Volkava via Getty Images)
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Sehar Shahid, board member at the NPA, said: “I know first-hand how distressing it is to see criminals posing as regulated pharmacists to try and trick patients into buying counterfeit medicines. Medicines from unregulated providers may be faked, swapped for an alternative medicine or not meet the strict regulatory standards we have in the UK. Patients should be wary of any provider that is offering medicines at a price that is too good to be true and are not offering any consultations before prescribing.”
Of the pharmacies that flagged these incidents to social media platforms, almost all (96%) reported feeling the response was wholly inadequate. Among those who reported the sites to the Medicines Healthcare and Regulatory Agency (MHRA), some 92% said they felt the response was not adequate.
Pharmacies are now demanding stronger intervention from the medicines regulator. In October, the MHRA’s criminal enforcement unit, supported by Northamptonshire Police, raided an illicit weight-loss jab manufacturing site in Northampton for the first time. In February, the regulator also worked with Lincolnshire Police to dismantle a facility in Sleaford.
Ms Shahid said: “Social media companies have been asleep at the wheel and have not done enough to prevent a booming market for counterfeit medicines to flourish on their platforms. Although the MHRA works hard, their efforts are a drop in the ocean to tackle what is fast becoming a sophisticated criminal enterprise.”
In a letter to Mr Streeting, the NPA has called for “robust action”. The organisation has proposed that the Government considers permitting pharmacies to utilise a specific domain name, such as pharmacy.uk, to assist patients in identifying regulated providers.
Ms Shahid added: “We need tougher enforcement action and the Government should put stronger safeguards in place to help patients clearly identify regulated providers online.”
Tim Duffield, head of intelligence and enforcement at the MHRA, said: “We take all reports extremely seriously and we will be reaching out to the NPA to gather a better understanding of the nature of these claims. While the MHRA does not regulate pharmacies, it is committed to protecting public health and supporting patients to make safe choices.
“Our criminal enforcement unit works tirelessly to take action against those unlawfully trading in medicines, including online, and will continue to take enforcement action where appropriate. Our teams have made significant seizures and arrests, preventing millions of doses of potentially dangerous products reaching patients and denying criminals millions of pounds in illegal profits, and this work is ongoing. The MHRA continues to work with partners across government, enforcement agencies, and wider partners to tackle the threat of unauthorised medicines being supplied online.”
